WEBVTT IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY TO START PREPARING. THAT WAS THE MESSAGE FROM EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL AND STATE INSURANCE OFFICIALS AT A STORM PREPAREDNESS MEETING IN BLUFFTON. WJCL'S TORI SIMKOVIC WAS AT THE MEETING -- AND IS LIVE IN BLUFFTON WITH ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS HURRICANE SEASON.TORI?3MANY IN SAVANNAH AND THE LOWCOUNTRY STILL HAVE OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR HURRICANE MATTHEW INSURANCE CLAIMS SO STATE OFFICIALS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL COORDINATED THE TOWN HALL TO MAKE SURE RESIDENTS ARE READY THIS YEAR.3WITH HURRICANE SEASON HERE SOUTH CAROLINA AND BEAUFORT COUNTY OFFICIALS WANTED TO BE SURE RESIDENTS ARE PREPARED.IF I DIDN'T ATTEND THIS MEETING, THIS WOULD BE THE FARTHEST THING FROM MY MIND.I WOULD NOT BE THINKING OF HOW DO I EVACUATE, WHAT DO I DO WITH MY FAMILY, WHAT DO I DO WITH MY PETS, EVEN HAVING LIVED THROUGH MATTHEW.THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE ORGANIZED A PANEL TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT POLICIES OR UNRESOLVED CLAIMS.WE HAD SOME SURPRISES LAST OCTOBER WHEN PEOPLE CAME BACK TO THIS AREA AND REVIEWED THEIR POLICY, THEIR DEDUCTIBLE FOR SOME FOLKS WAS A LOT HIGHER THAN THEY EXPECTED AND WHAT WAS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE MEETING WE JUST HAD IS YOU REALLY HAVE TO KNOW THOSE DETAILS.YOU HAVE TO KNOW IF A TREE FALLS IN YOUR YARD IT'S NOT COVERED.IN ADDITION TO REVIEWING YOUR INSURANCE POLICY, BEAUFORT COUNTY'S EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR SAYS RESIDENTS SHOULD HAVE AN EVACUATION PLAN.AND HE'S CONCERNED THE COMMUNITY WILL HAVE A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY AFTER HURRICANE MATTHEW THINK ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF TREE DAMAGE WE HAD WITH 88 MPH SUSTAINED WINDS.AND THIS WAS A CATEGORY 2, IT WAS A CATEGORY 4 IN JAMAICA, IT WAS A CATEGORY 2 OFF SHORE SO WE'RE CONCERNED THERE'S GOING TO BE A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY.HEY, I SURVIVED IT I CAN DO THIS.AND THE NEXT STORM COMING UP THAT'S A CATEGORY 2, CATEGORY 3 EH I CAN HANDLE IT.HE STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF EVACUATING WHEN THE ORDER COMES AND SAID IF YOU PREPARE áNOWá YOU WON'T HAVE TO WORRY WHEN THE DISASTER STRIKES.IF YOU PLAN NOW, THIS IS WHAT I'M GOING TO TAKE, THIS IS WHERE I'M GOING TO GO, THE STRESS OF THE STORM HITS OR THE EVENT HITS, I ALREADY KNOW WHERE I'M GOING, I KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO DO, JUST DO IT.3ONLY 50 PERCENT OF BEAUFORT COUNTY EVACUATED IN HURRICANE, AND OFFICIALS SAY, IN THE EVENT OF ANOTHER HURRICANE, THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT PERCENTAGE INCREASE. REPORTING LIVE IN BLUFFTON TS WJCL 22 NEWS.3AGAIN, THERE WILL BE A STORM-READY EXPO SATURDAY AT THE HOME DEPOT IN BLUFFTON. THAT'S ON 20 GATEWAY VILLAGE ROAD. IT STARTS AT 10 AND

That was the message from emergency management personnel and state insurance officials who hosted a storm preparedness meeting in Bluffton on Thursday.

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With the arrival of hurricane season, the S.C. Department of Insurance wanted to be sure residents are reviewing insurance policies and preparing their homes.

"If I didn’t attend this meeting, this would be the farthest thing from my mind. I would not be thinking of 'how do I evacuate, what do I do with my family, what do I do with my pets,' even having lived through Matthew," said Bluffton resident Nick Conte.

"We had some surprises last October when people came back to this area and reviewed their policy, their deductible for some folks was a lot higher than they expected," said Ray Farmer, South Carolina Director of Insurance.

That's why Farmer said it is important to review your insurance policy carefully at the start of hurricane season.

In addition to reviewing your insurance policy, Beaufort County's Emergency Management Director Lt. Col. Neil Baxley said residents should have an evacuation plan, and he's concerned the community will have a false sense of security after Hurricane Matthew.

"Think about the amount of tree damage we had with 88 miles-per-hour sustained winds, and this was a category 2. It was a category 4 in Jamaica. It was a category 2 off shore so we’re concerned there’s going to be a false sense of security," Lt. Col. Baxley said.

Only 50 percent of Beaufort County evacuated during Hurricane Matthew, but Baxley stressed the importance of leaving town when the order comes.

He said if the community prepares in advance, people won't have to worry when disaster strikes.

"If you plan now, this is what I’m going to take, this is where I’m going to go, the stress of the storm hits or the event hits, I already know where I’m going, I know what I’m going to do, just do it," Lt. Col. Baxley said.